Broken Memories
by Harry Potter Fan 1994
Summary: Starfire's stay on Earth isn't going so well after Tokyo, so she leaves to Tamaran.  Robin follows her, but when he gets there, nothing is as it should be.  Pairings: RobStar.  Read and Review please!
1. Chapter 1

Hey you guys! I just wanted to thank BerryDrops, SaoirseWaveglow, and RavenSis for the idea's on this first chapter. I really appreciate it! i kinda mixed them all together...

Sorry, I'm still thinking about a title, so the question marks'll stay for a little bit.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything mentioned below.

* * *

Starfire tried not to let the tears blur her vision as she hurtled through space, unable to believe she could still fly. After the incident where the Titans had been stranded on different planets, she had been working on trying to fly without the boundless joy factor. Still, she never expected to take a blow this hard. It would have been an amazing feat to hover a few inches off the ground, but flying from Earth to Tamaran was a thing of the legends in this state. 

_Flashback_

_Starfire frowned, staring at the door in front of her. 'ROBIN,' the sign read. It was all too familiar, as it had been slammed into her face oh-so-often these past few weeks. She sighed, knocking and expecting the same answer she had received every time._

_"Go away. I'm busy." It was entirely possible Robin had made this an automated message for anyone who chose to knock on his door. Starfire had received it every time she'd come here to get him to spend time with her. Was it some Earthly custom she was ignorant of, for boyfriends to ignore their girlfriends as soon as the dating had commenced? It wasn't one she could say she liked._

_"Robin, it is I, Starfire. I wish just to talk. We have barely done so since--"_

_"Go away. I'm busy." _

_Starfire pounded on his door. "Robin! This is ridiculously frustrating! You will come out now or I will break this door!" Starfire yelled, tired of his hiding. A very aggravated Robin opened the door, staring at Starfire as if _she_ were the frustrating one. _

_"Didn't you hear me?" he asked roughly._

_"Yes, but--"_

_"Then leave." He slammed the door in her face, yet again. _

_Starfire held her tongue as she journeyed ack to her room. There had to be a way to fix all of this. Some way to get Robin back out here, with her. Ever since their crime fighting vacation in Tokyo, Robin had believed his duty was over as a boyfriend by asking her out. She had to make him realize it was not. An idea struck her, and she wondered why she hadn't thought of it before._

_"If Robin was so much kinder when we were 'friends' perhaps we should continue to be so until we do the 'dating' again, after all this pressure from finding Slade is over. We merely had not picked a good time!" she mumbled to herself. Happy with her new idea, she ventured again to Robin's room and knocked politely on the door. _

_"What?" Robin asked harshly from inside._

_"Robin, please, I wish to talk. It will not take more than a minute!" Starfire promised. Robin opened the door, scowling at her._

_"Make it quick."_

_"Very well. You see, before we have commenced the 'dating' we were much better suited, yes? Both of us were happy, am I correct? Perhaps we should continue to be friends until a better time comes for us to--"_

_"I can't believe this!" Robin spluttered. _

_Starfire frowned. __"It is not a good idea?" she asked, a little crestfallen._

_"I make _one mistake _and you break up with me?" he roared. Poor, confused Starfire backed up a little bit, hurt by his tone._

_"Robin, I do not believe I am breaking anything..."_

_"Fine. Forget our relationship, forget our friendship, forget _you_. I thought you were supposed to be the caring one of us five, and I thought you knew the city comes before anything else," he growled, you guessed it, slamming the door. Starfire was stunned, unable to comprehend what had just happened. What had she said that was so horrible?_

_"Raven?" asked Starfire softly, knocking on the empath's door. Her friend answered, looking pale and dull, as usual._

_"Yeah?"_

_"Friend, I require your assistance. Robin has been yelling incoherently, and perhaps you could understand?" questioned Starfire hopefully. Raven sighed, but allowed her to come in. Starfire sat on the bed, careful not to touch anything else in the nearly pitch-black room. She told Raven the whole story, who, by the end, nearly had an eyebrow disappear into her hairline._

_"It sounds like you were a little too harsh on him," commented Raven. Starfire's shoulders slumped._

_"But how? I do not know what I have done!"_

_"On Earth, you've just done what we call 'breaking up,' which is when either the boyfriend or the girlfriend ends the relationship between the two. Robin's been working his butt off, what with Slade on the loose again, but he really cares about you, Starfire. He can't handle another loss right now," Raven explained._

_"But I did not end anything! I merely wished for us to continue it later!" Starfire cried, distressed._

_"Why didn't you tell him?" Raven inquired._

_"I tried, but he said 'forget our relationship, forget our friendship, forget you.' I was under the impression he was angry and did not wish to speak with me." Raven closed her eyes, exhaling._

_"I don't know what to tell you, Starfire. You should probably wait until all of this blows over." The alarm rang suddenly, and the two dashed to the Ops center. The three Titan boys were already there, searching for coordinates on the computer._

_"Slade," Cyborg confirmed. The Titans piled into the T-car, with Cyborg driving and Robin riding shotgun, well away from Starfire. "Check this out," Cyborg bragged. There was a sickening jolt as they started to move much faster, thanks to the rocket engines which had appeared out of the trunk. _

_"Cy, were gonna crash!" yelped Beast Boy, staring at the truck about to turn into their lane._

_"Not if I can help it." The car jerked up. They were flying. Robin swore as he looked out the window at the city below. "You like it? I just had it installed yesterday. Now, is it the overused 'abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city' or the classic 'deserted pier'?" Cyborg asked. Robin muttered something about a warehouse, and Cyborg flew them there, earning much admiration and envy from the green changeling._

_Touching down smoothly, three of the Titans congratulated Cyborg before following their leader into the warehouse. The teens stayed alert, as anyone or anything could pop out at any time. Starfire saw a flash of orange and black behind a crate and shot a starbolt, frying the box and revealing nothing underneath. Robin said nothing, not even bothering to glare at her. Quickly, she silenced her emotional issues with the leader and felt a prickling on the back of her neck. Someone was watching them._

_As one, the Titans whipped around, coming face-to-face with Slade. The old villain walked up to them, making no move. "Hello, Titans. We meet again."_

_"Slade," Robin spat. "What're you doing now?"_

_"You see Robin," drawled Slade, standing within arm's length of Starfire. She tried not to show how scared she was, and her eyes glowed green as a warning. "I came here to negotiate." This stopped the Titans short._

_"What?" asked Robin._

_"Negotiate. Bargain. And don't think it is in your favor, Titans. You know as well as I that I could defeat you in no time at all." He lifted Starfire's chin with a finger, and out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Robin flinch. "I give you one choice. You could spare yourselves, or die along with your city." Starfire jerked her head away, glaring. Robin took out his bo-staff, snapping it out to it's full length._

_"Here's a choice for you, Slade. Jail or jail, which one will it be?" Beast Boy rolled his eyes at the attempt, but changed into a rhino, charging at the villain. Starfire shot one starbolt after another, and Raven whipped boxes after boxes at him. Cyborg aimed his sonic cannon, and Robin tried hand-to-hand combat. Slade dodged them all, and a huge army of Sladebots descended upon the Titans. Each took on at least ten at a time, destroying them with one hit. There were far too many._

_Starfire saw Robin going after Slade, and the two began a huge fight, using every part of their bodies as weapons. Explosions, clanging of armor, and grunts of pain were heard as the two were enveloped in smoke from Robin's disks. Starfire flew towards them, knocking out any robot in her way, to help her teammate. A robot hit her in the stomach with some laser or other, but she ignored it. _

_Inside the smoke, she saw that Robin had Slade pinned to the floor, repeatedly punching him. Apparently, all his training had finally paid off. In horror, Starfire saw Slade cough up blood, but Robin did not stop. "Robin!" she screamed. He glanced up at her, and Slade punched him in the jaw, sending him flying into Starfire's arms, dazed. He got up quickly, ready to fight again, but Slade was no longer down there. As the smoke cleared, the terrible truth dawned on him. The robots stopped fighting, malfunctioning. Slade was gone._

_Robin rounded on Starfire while the rest of the Titans bent over to catch their breaths. "You let him get away!" he yelled._

_"Robin! You were going to kill him! You told me yourself, you could never, ever kill another human being--"_

_"I know what I was doing, you idiot! I was just going to knock him out! Now he's GONE!" Starfire recoiled._

_"No, Robin, you did _not

_"I would have been fine! He would have finally been behind bars! You've ruined everything! I HATE YOU!" Starfire toppled from the air, staring fearfully at Robin. The other Titans seemed to shrink from him, and Starfire thought that would be a pretty good idea right about now. Robin pulled his cape around his body, turning to the rest of the team. "Let's go home. We have more work to do." The pain in her stomach finally overwhelming her, Starfire blacked out._

* * *

_When she woke up, she realized she was in the Ops Center. Spotting a bag nearby, she grabbed it and promptly threw up. The noise alerted everyone else in the room, who rushed to her side. Raven put an ice pack on her forehead._

_"Aw, Star, that was my tofu dinner!" Beast Boy whined, glancing at the bag in her hands._

_"Not much different now, is it?" Cyborg interjected. _

_"Where...is...Robin?" asked Starfire slowly, her throat burning from the bile._

_"In his room," Raven answered shortly. Starfire nodded, immensely tired. "He wanted us to leave you there, Starfire. He said you were as good as a criminal yourself."_

_"Don't tell her, Raven!" cried Beast Boy, alarmed._

_"She has a right to know," argued Raven. To Starfire, she added, "To say Robin's upset right now would be a vast understatement."_

_"I have done wrong," Starfire surmised. The three nodded simultaneously. "I must go speak with him." The all started shaking their heads. _

_"I don't know why he's so mad, Star, but--" started Cyborg._

_"Starfire broke up with him," Raven said. The two boys gasped dramatically. _

_"Why? Star, he was doing all he could to _help_ us," said Cyborg, looking disappointed in her._

_"I did not!" Starfire cried, her throat still hurting. "I postponed everything. I did not end anything!"_

_"That's how he took it, though," Raven told Cyborg and Beast Boy. The two nodded, getting up. _

_"We're gonna go talk to Robin, and see what's going on. We'll be back later." Raven nodded, removing the ice pack from Starfire's head. _

_"Go back to sleep, Starfire. We'll handle this in the morning." Starfire nodded, drifting off to dreamland, where horrible nightmares awaited her. _

* * *

_In the morning, more bad news arrived in form of a newspaper. The headliner: "An Alien in our Midst: Good or Evil?" Apparently, from the few police that Robin had talked to, word had spread that Starfire had let Slade go. The worst villain in Jump City was still on the loose, and it was her fault._

_Not long after, telephones from the mayor and people of Jump City blocked up their hone lines, and the Titans actually had protesters in boats sail up to Titans Tower, waving signs in the air._

_"E.T. Go Home!" one said._

_"Out With The Aliens!" blared another._

_"We'd Pick Safety Over Starbolts Anyday!" _

_Starfire watched from her room, actually scared of the city she was supposed to protect. She resigned her fate. She'd done it once, and she could do it again. Packing her things, and adding a note to Silkie's bed for Beast Boy to feed him, she walked up to the roof. Her duty was gone, and Robin was gone. She could keep in touch with her friends from outer space. But even she had to admit, it would be better for her to leave. The city had never ganged up on Titan's Tower like this._

_"Goodbye..." she whispered, concentrating as hard as she could and taking off into space._

_End Flashback_

A ship was heading towards her, and Starfire slowed down. Something about it seemed oddly familiar...

She couldn't place it until a large retractable arm grabbed out and closed around her. She stiffened from shock, but began to struggle. She would have gotten out, too, if the arm hadn't brought her into the ship first.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here," sneered the ugly face of a Gordanian.

"Lord Trogaar will be very pleased. A Tamaranian in its highest--oh," started a second one, looking like he'd just been punched.

"What is it?" asked a third.

"Will you look at that? I think I'm going blind, but tell me if you will, this girl looks amazingly like--"

"Princess Koriand'r!" crowed the first.

"Bring her to the Citadel! We will get a hefty reward--"

"No, you imbecile! This is exactly what we need for our peace treaty with Tamaran! If we give them the Princess, those Troqs will no longer hunt us! Set a course for Tamaran!"

"You are bad people!" Starfire screamed finally. "Do not dare to call my people Troqs! They are better warriors than you cowards shall ever be!"

The Gordanians scowled. "Let us have some fun with her, Captain, for mouthing off! Maybe some extreme torture, and we could say we found her as such, which would make us more hero-like in the Troqs' eyes!" growled the first Gordanian.

The second one, the Captain, smiled. "I have just the device..." He disappeared for a minute while the other two held Starfire down. Coming back, he held what looked like a metal helmet with many buttons and dials in his hands. Placing it over Starfire's struggling head, he pressed a few buttons and a screen came down from the ceiling of the ship. "This machine is ideal for Tamaranian torture, my dear. Let me demonstrate." He pressed a few more buttons, and all of a sudden, Starfire saw Robin on the screen. Not only that, but she could see him in her head, too. Her heart felt crushed, glancing yet again at his handsome face. Did he care that she was gone? Did he know?

"Let me, Captain!" cried the third Gordanian, starting to fiddle with the dials. He grinned. "I like this one."

All of a sudden, the Robin on the screen's (and in her head) face contorted in anger. "FORGET OUR RELATIONSHIP! FORGET OUR FRIENDSHIP! FORGET YOU!" he yelled, his voice magnified by ten. Her head pounded with his hateful words. She slapped her hands over her ears, but of course, it made no difference.

"My turn!" shouted the first gleefully. He fiddled with the dials a little bit more, and Starfire saw Robin hurt, when he was hunting an imaginary Slade, only his wounds were so much worse. She cried out his name, begging him to stop fighting, but he paid her no heed.

The captain took over, a smirk all over his gruesome face. "Ah..." Now Robin was angry again, and yelling. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" Starfire buried her face in her hands, unwilling to let the Gordanians see her tears.

"This is my favorite!" cried the first. The third agreed. Robin's voice still rang out in her head, and she stopped struggling, sobbing openly.

"Stop! Please, stop! I do not want to hear this anymore!" she screamed, her mind still replaying the scene over and over again. The Gordanians did not stop. They kept sorting through her worst memories, replaying each numerous times and cackling at her reactions. She had no idea Tamaranians could be so affected, nor tortured in such a way. Things had changed during Starfire's stay on Earth. Starfire was unable to take it, and passed out yet again.

* * *

Waking up, Robin's voice was still playing in her head, but duller now. She was lying on a bed in a white, white room, with her k'norfka Galfore sitting beside her. Galfore smiled sadly, seeing that she was awake. 

"My bumgorf, how are you?" he asked kindly. Her head was throbbing, and tears started to fall.

"Robin..." she sobbed. Galfore turned angry in a flash.

"He was the one who did this to you? He will pay, that clorbag varb--"

"G-galfore, help me, please!" she sobbed. "I d-didn't mean it!"

"I know, my bumgorf. I know. The Gordanians saved you from him, Koriand'r. They found you and brought you here. They are our friends, my little bumgorf, can you believe it? Robin is gone from your life. Shh..."

"Forget our relationship...forget our friendship..." she quoted, trying to tell him. Galfore swallowed, but nodded, thinking he understood her.

"Stand up, Koriand'r. I will take you there." Starfire stood up, her legs weak. She looked down, her eyes widening at her emaciated body. Galfore grabbed her under the shoulder for support, and walked her out of the room.

They were in the palace, and Starfire remembered for a second that Galfore was ruler. Choking down the memory of her betrothal with a sob, she followed Galfore into a strange-looking chamber. It was completely metal, and looked rather hi-tech for Tamaran. There were two poles, straight across from each other, that were pointed at her head. "Stay here. It will be done in little time, my bumgorf, I promise."

Starfire collapsed on the floor, unable to keep herself up. How long had it been since she'd last eaten? For how long had she been unconscious?

The poles started to move downwards, so they were at her height again. Then they raced towards her head, stopping at her temples. The chamber filled with bright light, and Starfire's eyes rolled back into her head. She groaned, feeling as though a piece of her mind was being torn out. As suddenly as it started, the process stopped, and she fell to the floor, asleep.

* * *

Rushing, yet again...but I honestly don't know how else to put this chapter. I promise the rest will be a lot better! 

Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to BerryDrops and ScoutAndGinger for the title idea!

And thank you to BerryDrops, ScoutAndGinger, cartoonstar, FairieAngerx3o, RavenSis, lil love fan, Kory Anders Grayson, pokemon-avatar, and IAmOneOfThem for reviewing my first chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own TT

* * *

Robin sighed, the yells of the protesters somehow weaving their way into the peace and quiet of his room. How was he supposed to concentrate with them out there? He strode out of his room, out on to the rocks of Titan's Tower. At the sight of him, the chaos became even more...chaotic, but he held up his hands for silence. 

"Look people, you being here isn't going to do anything except slow down our search for him. Go home, lock your doors and windows at night. During daylight, you should be safe. Right now, I can't concentrate with you guys here. If you want to be safe, go home."

"What about the alien?" asked one. A whole chorus agreed. Robin scowled, hoping no one would question about her. The break-up still hurt. As much as he hated to admit it, he still loved Starfire.

"It was a mistake. Aliens and humans alike make them. If you want to be safe, I suggest giving this up." The discouraged protesters sailed back home, and Robin went back inside to answer the phone calls, saying the same thing every time. Eventually, the Tower quieted, but Robin realized he hadn't seen Starfire anywhere. Maybe she had been right. Rage had drove him, and he'd seen red, but he hadn't realized it was blood until he looked back at the scene after his fight with Starfire. Maybe he _had _almost killed Slade. In any case, talking to Starfire would be a good idea. This break-up was wrong for both of them. It had to be.

He went up to the roof first, sure she'd be there, but found nothing. He doubled back and checked her room, gasping at what he saw.

Nothing. The room was cleared of any important item, and a piece of paper sat by a napping Silkie. Robin picked it up.

_Beast Boy_

_Please feed Silkie, but keep him in this room. _

_Thank you._

It was written in Starfire's bubbly handwriting, and beside it lay her communicator. Robin's heart practically stopped, but his brain began to work.

Question: Why would Starfire write this?

Answer: She isn't going to be here to feed Silkie.

Question: Why wouldn't she be here?

Answer: She left.

Question: Why would she leave?

Answer: Because of the protesters.

Question: Why were there protesters?

Answer: Starfire helped Slade escape.

Question: Why would she do that?

Answer: She thought I was going to kill him.

Thus, Robin came to the logical conclusion that this was all his fault. As usual. He snarled, punding her bed with his fist. How _could_ he have been so _stupid_? He _knew_ Starfire was an overly emotional individual, and that she almost depended on him to help her through Earth ways. He'd never told her about a couple breaking up. He'd always been uncomfortable when it came to anything relationship-related around her. She couldn't have known, and he blew up. Then she probably went to the battlefield just as confused, and...

Robin swore, unable to believe he'd put Starfire through all of this, so much that she'd felt it right to leave. "Raven! Beast Boy! Cyborg! Ops Center, pronto!" he yelled down the hallway. He rushed to the said room, contacting Titans East. Speedy appeared on the screen.

"Hey Robin, what's up?" he asked.

"Listen, do you guys think you could--" The alarm blared in the Titans East Tower.

"Sorry, dude. Gotta jet. I'll talk to you later, maybe." The screen blanked out. Robin sighed as the other Titans entered the room.

"What?" Beast Boy asked.

"Don't interrupt. Starfire's not in the Tower anymore. My guess is that she's gone back to Tamaran. I need to go after her and bring her back. You guys--"

"Are coming with," Raven interrupted. Robin glared at her.

"I thought I told you not to interrupt! That is an order. You are _not_ coming with. Titans East is busy, and I'm not going to try and contact five other people to come and help here. You three are staying to protect the city. I should be back in a few days, give or take a day on Tamaran to get her back. If you want, I can get help from Gotham for the research--"

"Man, what do you think we are, decorations? We can do the research ourselves, if you'd let us," grumbled Cyborg. Robin rounded on him.

"Do you think this is some sort of joke? Starfire is GONE, in case it didn't penetrate your thick skulls!"

"Robin, we understand. She's our friend too, and Cyborg's right. We're a team, and we need to get through this together," Raven advised.

"No. I need to go alone. If you can find other Titans to take over the Tower's responsibilities, then you can come after me. Right now, it's me alone. I'm the one who made her leave, and I'm the one who needs to bring her back."

"You're being all self-centered again! Why can't Raven go? She can go into Star's mind or do something like that and convince her to come back home!" yelled Beast Boy agitatedly. "I'd go, but I have a serious bathroom problem with that place."

Robin sighed in annoyance and made his way down to the shuttles. He would be fine for a couple of days without them. What was the worst that could happen?

Famous last words.

* * *

Robin had been in deep space for two days. Tamaran was a couple of days' journey above Earth. It was in his sights, now, and he sped the ship along, eager to get to the planet. He entered the planet's atmosphere, after a tough battle of staying out of its orbit. He touched down smoothly, and got out of the ship, only to be apprehended by two enormous guards. Surprised, he tried to wriggle out of their grasp. These were sentries, apprehending anyone from space that had no invitation. Great.

Struggling was futile; they were a lot stronger than him. Resignedly, he let them carry him towards the palace, mumbling a bunch of things in Tamaranian.

The gigantic doors to the palace opened, and the guards led him into a huge hall and jerked him to the right, into a smaller hallway. There, he saw a sight that he'd have nightmares about for years.

It was Starfire, hobbling along and leaning on the wall for support. Her skin was greyish, and her hair lank and brown. She was far skinnier than she was before, too skinny. Her uniform hung about her body, the breastplate discarded because it obviously would not fit. Her eyes looked huge on her shruken face, though dull and vacant. Their eyes met, and she blinked. No recognition.

"Starfire!" he cried. She walked on in that shuffling gait, using the wall for support and casting fearful glances behind her. All of a sudden, a huge man appeared, and ran towards her. Robin recognized the man a Starfire's nanny, Galfore.

He yelled things in Tamaranian for a little bit, and tears fell as she gazed up at Galfore, though her expression never changed to one of sadness. Then he embraced her, though she didn't return it, and tears kept falling from her blank face.

One of Robin's welcoming committee stepped up and started saying a bunch of things in Tamaranian that Robin didn't understand. Galfore turned around, just noticing him, and his eyes alomst seemed to glow like Starfire's. He was not happy.

"You! You vile creature! You sickening disgrace! How _dare_ you come to disfigure the face of my planet!" he roared. Robin gulped and shrank back against his captors, wondering if Starfire was watching. She seemed to be off in her own world.

"Um...hi?" he tried. Big mistake.

"You nearly kill my bumgorf, and all you can say is 'hi'? Look at her! You've broken her! She was near dead when the Gordanians found her! She still is!" Galfore thundered. Starfire's eyelids drooped, and she slid down the wall on to the floor, fast asleep.

"I didn't do this to her!" cried Robin. "She was fine when she left Earth!" Was she? Tamaranians weren't so emotional that a broken heart could cause _this,_ right? This was barely even Starfire. He didn't know how he'd recognized her. Galfore didn't believe him either.

"You will pay. This is an attempt on the life of a member of the royal family. Whether it was direct or indirect, there is only one price."

"What's that?" asked Robin shakily, though he already had a vague idea of the answer.

Galfore smiled grimly. "Your execution will take place in five days, as soon as I can arrange it. At least then, Koriand'r shall be avenged."

* * *

Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnn... 

I need a soundtrack with this story, LOL.

Review please!


	3. Chapter 3

HUGE THANKS to FairieAngelx3o, dude the song is great! (Claps enthusiastically) Seriously, she WROTE a song for this story. Can you guys believe it? Anyway, the song is titled "Broken Memories" and it's amazing. It'll be up in the third to last chapter, so look out for it!

Disclaimer: i don't own TT

* * *

Robin sat on the edge of his new bed in the jail cell, thinking. His cell was very small, not made for comfort, and about eight feet by eight feet. There was a cot, and that was about it. It was filthy, dark, and damp, but Robin didn't care. 

The countdown started tomorrow. Five days, and he'd be dead. It was kind of hard to believe, so he pushed the thought away. Funnily enough, though, it wasn't death that scared him. It was Starfire.

She was no longer the happy, bubbly alien he knew and loved. How had his anger broken her like this? She was stronger than that. Now she could barely hold herself up. When he was gone, what would she do? Would she care? Would she know?

A guard came and slid some disgusting something-or-other Tamaranian slop into his cell, and Robin stopped him. "I need to talk to Galfore," he said, slowly but clearly. The guard still looked confused. "Galfore. Koriand'r. Galfore," Robin tried. He walked away, and soon brought a scowling Galfore back with him.

"I do not have time for you. Make this quick," growled Galfore.

"Fine. Give me a chance to help Starfire," said Robin bluntly. Galfore narrowed his eyes.

"No. Why would I do that? You would just finish her off!"

"Listen to me. I'm her"--He gulped--"friend. I just want to see her as Starfire again. Please, just give me a chance to make her right. I don't want her to live the rest of her life like this. Let me fix whatever mistake I made."

Galfore sneered. "This will not, by any means, cancel your sentence."

"I don't expect it to. Do what you want with me, just give me my last days to help her," he said, trying his hardest not to sound like he was begging. He'd never die happy, knowing Starfire was Starfire no longer. It was worse than the end of the world, and he'd been there already.

"Fine. If you hurt her any more, not only you, but your whole planet will die," Galfore threatened. Robin nodded. It may not have been the smartest idea to bargain the whole planet Earth, but he honestly didn't see how he could cause Starfire any more mental pain. He'd never hurt her physically...unless he was temporarily insane.

"What happened?" he asked.

"A few straggling Gordanians found her, as she is, near Earth, and they brought her here. She was unconscious. When she awoke, she told me she wanted to forget you." Robin crossed his arms over his chest. This made absolutely no sense. He'd most definitely never starved her. "The Gordanians, as a peace treaty, gave her back to us. Over the years, they have given us much more. We have used a certain kind of technology on her, one that has the power to delve into the mind and do its job there. Thus, we shut down the parts of her mind that had any past memories of Earth, all of which you were in."

Galfore unlocked his cell door, and grabbed his arms roughly, leading him to a different wing of the castle. A large, elaborate door of what looked like purple wood opened, and they were led into Starfire's room. It was almost the same as her room at Titan's Tower, except much bigger. She lay on the bed, her feet where her head should be, as usual. She was pointing at the canopy above her head, muttering things like 'Orion' and 'Dipper.' She frowned, and suddenly screamed. Robin clapped his hands over his ears, his heart wrenching. Starfire was watching him, and her screaming ceased.

"Koriand'r, I have brought a visitor." Starfire's frown deepened, and she pointed at Robin.

"Bad man," she said clearly. Robin winced. "Stay away."

"I know I told you he is a bad man, but you do not have to stay away from him any longer. He is going to be your companion. Is that okay with you?" asked Galfore. Robin shot Galfore a quick glare that the older man couldn't see, but forced a smile at her.

"Hey."

"Cow food," she muttered, attempting to sit up. "Cow food." Galfore supported her, and she stood up as well. Robin grabbed on to her, signalling for Galfore to leave.

"Remember..." Galfore warned.

"Yeah, I remember..." Robin murmured, staring at Starfire's strange-looking face. She stared back shamelessly as Galfore left. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a close embrace. With a jolt of relief, he realized she still had that 'Starfire smell' about her. It was sugary, spicy, and everything nice...y. Robin loved it, partly because he always had, and partly because it was the only familiar thing he could find about her. He closed his eyes, pretending he was back at Titan's Tower, and that he was just hugging his girlfriend and spending time alone with her just for the heck of it, like he should have. Then he was brought with a crashing halt back down to reality, where he was going to die, and his arms were around Starfire's way-to-skinny waist, and she wasn't hugging him back.

A few tears leaked their way out of his eyes, and he squeezed them shut, burying his head in Starfire's shoulder. His shoulders started to shake, but he refused to cry. Not in front of Starfire. Staring into her face again, he rested his forehead on hers.

"You...and I...speak differently," she said softly. Robin frowned in confusion, and then nodded.

"Yeah. English. It was from Earth, when you lived with the Titans." She did not understand, so he elaborated. "We were...are...were the Teen Titans, a crime fighting team. We lived in Jump City, and protected the people from villains. There's Cyborg, who's a half-robot. He's great at anything that deals with machinery. Then there's Beast Boy, who can transform into animals. He's all green, and cracks lame jokes all the time. Raven, a half-demoness, is an empath. Her powers are controlled by her emotions, like yours, so every time she gets mad, something or other blows up. And then there's you...and me."

"Ray-ven. Cy-borrrg. Beeesst Boy," Starfire tried. Robin nodded, a huge lump forming in his throat. He'd never see those three again. The communicators didn't work when they were different planets away. Starfire shook her head. "I have lived on Tamaran all my life."

"No, you haven't. If you had, would I be here?" Starfire thought about that for a minute.

"Tell me more."

So Robin sat Starfire down on her bed, supporting her, and began to tell her about the adventures of the Teen Titans. He only told her the good times, the funny times, for obvious reasons. Starfire leaned all her weight against him, oftentimes dozing off for five minutes before waking up and listening again. He waited patiently when this happened, positioning her more comfortably around him while she slept. Her small dreams were fitful, and most likely the cause of her waking up.

Then there were her lucid moments, and her confused ones. From what Robin could tell, whenever she muttered incoherent things, she was either trying to remember something or her brain was replacing memories from Earth with made-up memories from Tamaran. He really needed a good look at this machine. Maybe he'd beat it up.

"...And then, you were trying to hide Silkie from us, so when Raven and Cyborg came to check your room, you wouldn't let them in. Apparently it was Gorb-Gorb, the Tamaranian holiday of beating up drapery. You blasted a hole through the tower, trying to cover up." Starfire's eyes narrowed.

"There is no such holiday as Gorb-Gorb."

"Yeah, we figured that out later. Then you started feeding Silkie zorkaberries, but he grew humongous, and--" Suddenly, Starfire drew away from him, and he prepared himself for another one of her attacks. She buried her head in her knees, rocking back and forth on the bed.

"Galfore," she wept. "GALFORE!" Robin hugged her again, calming her down slightly.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

"I was attacked," she sniffed, "by a Xathrend from the Swamp Moons of Drenthax Five." Robin nodded, rubbing her back comfortingly and planting a soft kiss on her lips. "Robin, why would you preform the language transfer if I can already speak your tongue?"

Robin scratched the back of his neck, unsure of why he was so nervous. It was still Starfire, after all. "On Earth, it isn't a language transfer. It's called a kiss, and you kiss people that you hold a specal affection for."

Starfire nodded. "So I should kiss Galfore, then?" Robin's eyes widened and he shook his head furiously.

"No. Um, see, you could kiss Galfore on the cheek or something, but what I did...that's for people who...you know...you're in love with."

"But I am not in love with you," Starfire pointed out. His arms disappeared from around her sides and he brought his knees to his chest, looking away, a terrible feeling of lonliness overcoming him. Starfire plopped down on the bed, too tired to hold herself in a sitting position.

"Yeah, I know. But you were...I think. Maybe you just dated me out of pity anyway." He got up and started to pace far away from her. She watched him interestedly, but Robin didn't look her in the eye. He tried to imagine how much worse it would have been if she had said 'I hate you.' He stopped. Those were _his_ words. He was just beginning to contemplate this when Galfore burst into the room.

"What have you done? I heard her screaming for me!" he yelled. Robin held up his hands to show he was innocent, and Galfore's eyes rested on Starfire, who's expression glazed over. She was losing it again.

Shaking uncontrollably, She grabbed a pillow and sobbed into it, not even stopping when Robin and Galfore came to her side. "I knew you did something! Look! She is dying! And it is all your fault!" cried Galfore frantically. Robin sighed.

"She isn't, okay? If you hadn't shut down her brain or whatever, this wouldn't be happening!" he yelled at Galfore. The big man straightened and looked down at Robin, making him feel _much_ smaller than he really was.

"If you had not chased her away in the first place, _none _of this would be happening!"

"If you hadn't given her to the Citadel, she would never have met me!"

"I did not! That was her parents!"

"Not my fault, though, now is it?" Robin had him there. Still, the two were acting like children, glaring once more and pretending that argument never happened, they tried to cam Starfire down in vain. "Shh, Star, it's okay..." Starfire grabbed on to Robin and tightened her grip, crushing his lungs, but he didn't care. Her breathing grew even, and the tears stopped coming. Her arms relaxed their death grip.

"Do not let go," she pleaded.

"I won't, Star, I promise." Galfore watched the two for a minute, and, convinced Starfire wasn't dying, walked out of the room. _So what if she doesn't love me back? That's not what I'm here for. It's probably better that way, at east then she won't care when I'm gone. I need to help her become Starfire again. That's all, _Robin thought furiously. Batman was right. Emotions just got in the way. He needed to focus on the job.

Easier said than done. Old Bats never had the love of his life in his arms going psycho and telling him she didn't love him five days before he was going to die. Hmph.

A servant dropped off food, for both Robin and Starfire at Starfire's door, and Robin had to force feed it to her. She was convinced it was a parasitic worm that would kill her slowly from the inside if she ate it. Finally, Robin came up with the lie that there already _was_ a parasitic worm in her body, and that eating food would kill it. She solemnly promised to eat everything the servants brought by. He found his meal strangely edible, and wondered if it was from Earth. It didn't look like anything he'd ever seen.

Robin left at nighttime, with Galfore leading him to his new chambers, not far away from Starfire's. Soundlessly, he closed the door behind Robin and locked it.

This room was a whole lot better than his jail cell. For one thing, there was a huge tub of steaming water for a bath, and a full size bed instead of a cot. It was squeaky clean in here, and a large window opening up to a balcony overlooked the city. On the bed lay new clothes for him, of Tamaranian attire. The term 'clothes' was rather inaccurate. It consisted of a single loincloth and shoes. Robin decided to stick to his uniform, no matter how grimy. The room was still small, but Robin could live with that. He took off his clothes and sank into the bath, sighing with relief.

After climbing into bed, he heard a scream. It was Starfire, no doubt about it. But it wasn't mindless, she was screaming _something_.

"ROBIN!"

He tried to open the door, and found it was locked. He fumbled with a lock pick he'd kept in his utility belt, and opened his door. Without a second thought, Robin ran to Starfire's room, where she was thrashing about on the floor, as if she were drowning.

"Star! Star, I'm here!" he said, picking her up. Her eyes were closed. She was sleeping.

"Robin, they are taking me again! They will torture me again!" she cried. Robin's heart practically stopped. She wasn't sleeping, she was remembering. Maybe she was doing both.

"No they won't, Star. I'm right here." She pushed him away.

"You said you hated me...over and over..." she said softly, drifting back to sleep.

"I don't hate you, Star. I could never hate you. Whatever I told you, that was a lie. I love you, Starfire." She nestled back into his arms, and he picked her up and placed her on the bed again. She was so light, it made Robin's arms feel heavy. He laid her gently on the bed, and then slept on the floor next to her bed all night.

* * *

Okay, I've got no comments. Uh...Review please?


	4. Chapter 4

Hi! Hehe, I forgot, this IS the third to last chapter. Anyways here is "Broken Memories"! The boldface is Robin's part, the underlined chorus is Starfire's...they're not singing, it just fits with them. If you want, you can just enjoy the song, I just like making things complicated.

Sorry I haven't updated sooner, I was painting my bedroom for the past two days. It is now PURPLE!

Sound familiar?

Disclaimer: I don't own TT or "Broken Memories" by FairieAngelx3o

* * *

Starfire was...well, to say she was better would be exaggerating, but she was improving. She had less nightmares and more 'normal' moments, where she was in that same depressed state. Her made-up memory bank, however, had stopped working. Robin never stopped filling her in on life with the Titans, and, though she didn't remember it, it filled the missing spots. Robin had been working with her on her powers, too, although flight wasn't coming on so well. Plus, there wasn't a whole lot to be righteously furious about besides hating him.

**Hold on tight  
with all your might  
open your eyes and see  
that this love is gone between you and me  
say goodbye  
cause I won't be back ever again  
Up and down  
you're everywhere to me (woah woah woahh woah)**

_Flashback_

_"Alright, just imagine that there's a huge, gooey monster attacking Tamaran, and you're the only one that can stop it. Just get angry at it. Don't hate it, hate what it's doing to your home," Robin instructed. Starfire's hands glowed a faint green. "Good! You're getting there. Now try again. What makes you angry more than anything else?"_

_Starfire thought for a minute, and then shook her head. "Nothing."_

_"Come on, Star, there has to be something," Robin prodded. Again, she shook her head._

_"I cannot feel anger." Huge setback. Robin should have known. All she ever showed was sadness or despair._

_"I guess boundless joy's out of the question, too," he muttered. Starfire agreed. "Well, we'll just have to make the best of it. I want you to concentrate as hard as you can. Even a little bit of anger would help. Just concentrate." A little more glowing. Starfire sank down to the floor, exhausted, and Robin hurried over to her. "That's enough for today. Let's get you back to your room."_

_End Flashback_

Broken heart, broken dream  
all I have about you are  
broken memories.  
You took my glass heart  
and threw it to the cold floor  
and now I know  
we are no more  
and all I have from that are broken memories

_Flashback_

_"Robin, what are you doing?" asked Starfire. She had come to sleep, after walking all the way from her room to Robin's and back. Granted, it was only about fifty feet, but it was the start of a miracle for her._

_Robin was standing on her four-poster bed, attaching a thick, black cloth to each of the four posts. The cloth had strategically placed holes poked in it, and was otherwise completely opaque, even under light. _

_"You'll see," Robin answered. He finished with his cloth and climbed up to the top of a post, attaching a string to the ceiling of the room. "Hey, Star? Could you hand me that candle?" Starfire located the unlit candle and gave it to him, watching warily. Robin tied the string around it and lit the candle. The effect was amazing._

_"Robin..." Starfire breathed. He climbed back down, smiling a little._

_"Do you remember?"_

_The two sat on Starfire's bed, underneath the cloth, and looked up at Robin's imitation of Earth's night sky. "Look, you can see the Big Dipper. And that's the North Star. It never moves, and it's the brightest in the sky, so people can always tell which way is which after the sun goes down. About two hundred years ago, give or take, slaves escaping from plantations would use this star to guide them to freedom," Robin explained. Starfire nodded._

_"It is..."_

_"Halfway decent? You should've seen the nights on Earth. They were way better than this. You and I would always sit up on the roof of Titan's Tower together, watching the sunset. I won't even try to recreate that. You'll have to go to Earth someday to see it." Starfire knew she never would, and now, Robin wouldn't either._

_End Flashback_

**I never said 'I'm sorry'  
but I did hear 'I'm leaving; goodbye'  
Pictures of you still make me smile  
A kid plays with his toy  
Laughing, smiling, and showing all his joy  
And then I know that I need to let go**

_Flashback_

_"Trust me," Robin whispered in Starfire's ear. She gulped, wrapping her arms around Robin's neck. Jumping from the roof of the palace, he grinned easily as Starfire squealed with fear. There were falling alarmingly fast. He fired his grappling hook at the roof again, enjoying the feeling of her embrace. He'd missed it so much. Was it just him, or was there an extra sparkle in her eye?_

_They landed back on the roof they'd started on, and Starfire went as limp as a rag doll again, any faint sign of happiness long gone. "So that is the joy of flight you wished for me to experience." Robin nodded, his smile faltering. _

_"And...?"_

_"I wish to go to my room now." Robin had known something like that was coming up. Her feelings were now so complicated, even she couldn't understand them. Now he had brought joy in the picture, and it was worse. She needed to think. Still, he didn't regret putting that on her. Everyone needed to feel joy, especially Starfire, Miss Happiness Incarnate._

_"I know, and I'll take you there, but first, did you like it?" Starfire turned to him with a blank look on her face. "Flying? Did you like flying?"_

_"I do not know." She started shaking, and Robin held her while she had another one of her attacks. This was not working._

_End Flashback_

Broken heart, broken dream  
all I have about you are  
broken memories.  
You took my glass heart  
and threw it to the cold floor  
and now I know  
we are no more  
and all I have from that are broken memories

This was it. He'd failed. Tomorrow was the day, and Starfire was Starfire no longer. He could only hope the Titans would come, find out what happened to him, and help her. He hadn't been able to, but maybe they would be more successful. Deep down, he knew it wasn't happening. Starfire was lost forever.

"You are going tomorrow," Starfire said.

"Huh?"

"Galfore said you are going back to Earth tomorrow." More lies. He couldn't help but be surprised at the lengths Galfore would go to protect Starfire from any harm.

"Um...yeah. I..." Robin wasn't sure what else to say. Staring down at the floor, he waited for her reaction.

"Why?" He didn't dare look up.

"I don't really have a choice, Star," he admitted truthfully.

"Do not call me 'Star'! My name is Koriand'r! You are a clorbag! A traitor! Why would you leave me? You said you loved me!" she whispered furiously.

"Star!" he cried, glancing up. Her eyes glowed slightly green, and he wondered if his execution would come a day early. Star was righteously furious. Star had no control over her powers. Star was mad at him. He was in big trouble. "That's not it at all! If I could stay, I would, but I can't..."

"I do not understand," she replied coldly.

"I don't want you to."

There was a very long pause. "Stay," she murmured. "Please." There were tears in her glow-less emerald eyes. Robin swallowed, a huge lump appearing out of nowhere in his throat. This would not do at all. Starfire couldn't want him to stay. She'd be miserable when he 'left,' not that that thought made it any easier for Robin to say what was right.

"I lied, okay? I don't love you. I need you to get better. Everyone does. Galfore brought me here to help you, and he's sending me back tomorrow because I'm not doing my job. You're still depressed. I never did love you."

Starfire didn't respond to this at first. "So all of the stories about the Titans...they were lies as well?"

"No. They were the truth."

Starfire pondered this, and got angry again. "This is not making the sense! How could they be true when you said you did not love me? What about the top of the roof? What about the city of Tokyo? What about...get out! I hate you! I never want to see you again!" she screeched. Grabbing her pillow, she hurled it at him. Somehow, anger brought her strength back. _Wonderful, _thought Robin wryly as it hit him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him careening into the wall. Only Tamaranians could turn pillows into lethal weapons.

"I'm going," he mumbled softly, clutching his stomach and leaving the room.

Her sobs plagued his mind the whole night.

* * *

"Up!" a burly guard ordered him. Robin jerked himself awake, climbing out of bed as fast as he could. Unfortunately, this earned him no brownie points from the three huge men glaring at him. Was _everyone_ on Tamaran over seven feet tall?

The guards felt that beating up the prisoner was a great way to repay him for nearly killing the princess. Two of the grabbed his limbs, holding him up high while the third punched him in the face. Robin heard his nose crack and blood gushed out, dripping into his mouth before he could close it. He spat, and the wad landed on one guards shoe. The big man didn't appreciate this, and Robin was pretty sure they'd broken most of his ribs before forcing him to walk, lashing out if he stumbled or slowed down. The pain was unbearable.

The procession passed Starfire's room, and Robin fell, panting heavily. One guard kicked him, and he cried out in agony. Starfire's door opened, revealing the princess herself. She gawked at Robin's condition, while a guard gave her the summary of the situation in rapid Tamaranian.

"Execution. You said you were going back to Earth." Robin didn't bother moving. It hurt too much. Starfire and the guard exchanged quick conversation, and one man helped him up, carrying him into Starfire's room and laying him roughly on the bed. Then he left, replaced by Starfire. Robin's vision was now so blurred, he could barely tell the difference.

"Angel?" he croaked in question. Starfire frowned.

"A heavenly being? I do not believe there is one in the room. If you are able to speak, then speak. If not, you may nod or shake your head. You are to be executed?" she asked shakily.

Robin winced, but nodded. It hurt a lot.

"You lied about going back to Earth?"

Robin nodded again.

"Galfore made this lie up?"

Robin nodded a little hesitantly. Starfire sighed.

"Galfore has ordered for you to die?"

Robin grew tired of nodding, so he choked out, "Yeah. And I'm sorry about what I said yesterday, Starfire, but I'd rather you believe me a lying coward than miss me." He attempted a grin, and Starfire started to cry. Huge, diamond-like tears fell out of her eyes, and Robin was helpless to wipe them away. "Don't cry, Star, please don't cry. Smile for me, one last time. Please." She cried even harder, grabbing a cloth to wipe the blood off his face.

"I...don't want...you to...go!" she wept, her arms shaking dangerously. Robin shushed her, still trying to smile, as a guard came in to take him away again. He was jerked upwards, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"I love you, Star."

Her entire body was convulsing, now, but she managed to blubber, "I love you, as well." It was the most he could have asked for.

"Goodbye..." he whispered.

The word 'struck a bell,' she believed the phrase was. Somehow, someway, it fit.

_Flashback of a Flashback_

_"Goodbye..." she whispered, concentrating as hard as she could and taking off into space._

_End Flashback_

"Robin!" she cried out. It was too late. He was already gone.

* * *

Again I say, as if I haven't said it enough, I loved the song, and that was a first time, too! I hope you keep writing songs, because you're GREAT!

Ahem. My outburst is over.

LOL.

Anyways, hope you guys liked the chapter. You know the drill:

Dude, this was so rushed...blah, blah, blah...I swear all I can write is rushed stories...yadda, yadda...thank goodness it's almost over, I can't believe I made you guys read ANOTHER horrible story...

My self esteem gets a kick outta that.

Ah well. If you voluntarily subject yourself to the torture of readig my stories, then I salute you. If you happened to read the whole this by accident and are now scared to death of FanFiction writers, well...I don't know what to say to you. Usually, people who don't like the story don't go to chapter four without leaving a flame. ANYDAY NOW.

I'm mad, can you tell? In more ways than one...hehehe.

Review please!


	5. Chapter 5

Gasp! Robin's gonna die! The moment you've ALL been waiting for! LOL.

Disclaimer: I don't own TT.

* * *

Robin was led to a huge arena, in the middle of which was a raised platform and a pole arising from it. The place reminded him somewhat of a Roman colosseum, bleachers and all, with an open top. Every single seat was filled. Robin had no idea this many people wanted him dead. It looked like the whole of Tamaran. 

The guards hustled him up to the platform, tying him to the pole. Robin gulped, the fear beginning to strike him now that Starfire was gone. He hoped Galfore would just end it quickly.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. While one of the guards read his crimes from a sheet of paper, a dozen men appeared on the rim of the arena, surrounding him in a semicircle. A huge glop of...some Tamaranian dish hit him in the side of the face, followed by more. The crowd was yelling and throwing the food at him, which almost completely drowned every other sound.

Galfore stood up, and he was easily detected among the others. For one, he was dressed in royal Tamranian clothes, unlike the commoner's garb Robin usually saw Starfire in. Plus, he was pretty tall for a Tamranian, and that's saying something. He held up his hand for silence, and, as soon as the crowd quieted, motioned to the dozen men above everyone else. The pulled out bows and arrows. Archers. They were going to shoot him.

Galfore started to speak in a slow, clear voice that Robin had no hope of understanding. Since he was the only one not concentrating on Galfore's speech, he was the only one who noticed the red-orange-and-purple blur fly into the stadium.

"No. Effing. Way," he whispered to no one in particular.

Starfire, the Teen Titan Starfire, the REAL Starfire, landed in front of him, spreading her arms out to completely cover his body from the archers. The crowd let out a synchronized gasp, and Galfore's eyes widened.

"Koriand'r!" he cried, and even Robin could understand that. What he couldn't understand was how in the world Starfire's hair was now red again, her skin was now orange again, and her eyes were sparkling with life and happiness when she turned to smile back at him.

"No. _Starfire_," she corrected. Overwhelmed with emotion, Robin grinned back. He could die happy now. She leaned back a little and pecked him on the lips, laughing at his dazed expression.

"Koriand'r, please, get out of the way. You have no place here," Galfore ordered nervously. Robin would've laughed, if his ribs hadn't been hurting so bad. Galfore was in big trouble.

"Galfore, you are my k'norfka, and for no other reason than that I will excuse your lies. If you had not been, I would challenge you at this minute," Starfire informed him, her eyes blazing. The glow was visible even to Robin, to whom she now had her back turned. He had no doubt in his mind that Starfire would win at any fight right now.

"Koriand'r, you can hardly blame me. Your condition..."

"Which you caused," Starfire interrupted. Galfore looked outraged.

"You specifically _instructed _me!" he yelled. Starfire sighed.

"I believe much needs to be explained. As of right now, Robin will NOT die. He is a friend not only to me, but to all of Tamaran. He has been falsely accused of these charges, and was still willing to die for me. Galfore, you can only be heartless if you persist in the belief that Robin should be dead."

Galfore opened his mouth, and then closed it. Again, he opened it. "Untie Robin. Koriand'r..."

"Starfire."

"...Starfire, you have much to explain."

* * *

Later, with Robin lying comfortably on a bed while Starfire and a Tamaranian healer tended to him, the whole story came out. Starfire included only a little white lie, saying that she had been coming for a surprise visit to Tamaran rather than the city had kicked her out. For that, Robin was grateful. Galfore still looked like he was ready to kill him. 

"...On the way, I had been captured by Gordanians. They tortured me...and that was when I saw Robin saying those terrible things. They were playing with my mind. They then rendered me unconscious, and I do not believe they fed me at all for the journey. To have nine stomachs and no food is horrible," Starfire added as a sidenote to Robin. "I was merely trying to tell you...and then that machine..."

Galfore thought for a moment, and then beckoned to a guard standing near. "Contact Gordania. Cancel the treaty, and tell them Tamaran will never be at peace with such a race. Despatch the messenger ships immediately." The guard nodded, and walked out.

Starfire and Robin waited anxiously for Galfore's next statement. The healer gave up trying to pretend she wasn't listening, and glanced up while wrapping bandages around Robin's chest. A thick silence hung in the air, and she broke it, muttering, "Merely bruised, nothing to worry about." Robin gazed at her strangely, wondering where she learned English and hoping she wasn't talking to herself. He'd rather not have a crazy person fixing him up.

"I am...sorry," Galfore said finally. Everyone relaxed. "From everything the Gordanians told me...and what Koriand'r told me...I thought..."

"It's fine..." Robin replied, though he knew he'd never trust Galfore again. Whatever friendship, if any, had been there before between them was now smashed by a huge wall of ice.

"No, it is not. I have almost taken an innocent life. I would have, if Koriand'r had not--"

"I'm not as 'innocent' as Starfire made me out to be. I was being a jerk...no, I was way worse, and she put up with me. Then I told her I didn't care about her, and she left, and this whole thing started. You wouldn't have been taking an innocent life at all," he explained.

"Robin..." Starfire murmured, taking his hand. "I do not blame you at all. Neither of you." The two smiled.

* * *

"Robin! You are well again!" cried Starfire the next day, kissing him as a greeting. He grinned, holding her close. 

"Yeah...thanks to your healer over there. How are you?" he asked, and Starfire dismissed it with a wave.

"That is not important. You were hurt so badly! Come, there is a feast downstairs!" Starfire squealed, her face glowing with happiness. Robin let her carry him while she flew, laughing and smiling along with her. He cherished every moment he spent with Starfire. If he ever lost her again...

Robin found enough food to keep him full, but noticed he was also losing weight alarmingly fast, while Starfire gained hers back. He needed to get back to Earth. The Titans were expecting him.

The Titans! With all of this, he'd nearly forgotten them for a day. He couldn't even imagine their reactions when he got back, although they'd been acting different lately. Even he could see that, and he had been locked in his room almost all the time. Shaking the thought out of his head, he enjoyed the festivities along with everyone else. Robin found it slightly strange that the people who'd been throwing food at him yesterday were congratulating him today.

Afterwards, Robin approached Starfire and Galfore. "I think it's time that we went back. Not just because of the city, but that's our home, and plus, I've intruded long enough." Starfire stared down at her feet, and Robin hoped she wasn't too disappointed.

"In actuality, Robin..." She took a deep breath. "...I am staying on Tamaran."

The words hit him like a sledgehammer to his just-healed stomach. "_What_?"

"I cannot return to the city, and...Tamaran is my home, Robin. I have deluded myself for too long. I do not belong on Earth." Robin gaped, sure he looked like a fish.

"But...Earth! You belong there as much as any of the Titans! Star, we can take care of the city, they're just...their feelings about you aren't important! Didn't you say it was our words that mattered, not their's? We're your friends, Starfire, we need you there!"

Starfire shook her head. "It is not only that, Robin. Look at what my ignorance of Earth's customs has caused. This cannot happen again. I am...sorry." Starfire gazed at him, begging him to understand. Robin sighed and gritted his teeth against what felt like knives in his heart.

"I...I mean...Yeah, it's fine. Great actually. I'm just gonna go." Starfire grabbed his hands, forcing him to stay.

"Robin, do you not think this hurts me as well?" She tried to kiss him, but he turned his face away.

"No, you're right. We should just forget, like we were doing in the first place. See you later, Galfore, Koriand'r." He just ran. He ran out of the palace, to his ship, and into the contraption. He fired up the engines, not bothering to count down, and lifted off, just as Starfire and Galfore appeared in the doorway of the castle. He didn't wave goodbye, but _floored _it and sped off. He never wanted to see them again.

* * *

Robin was sure he was halluncinating. Possibly the stress over Starfire, and the sleep deprivation from the last two days on the ship without bothering to put it on autopilot. But as soon as he had stepped inside Titan's Tower, there were two Ravens, two Beast Boys, and two Cyborgs. 

"What...?" he started before keeling over.

* * *

LOL betcha didn't see that coming! One more chapter! 

Review please!


	6. Chapter 6

The final chapter! Hope you all liked it!

BIG thanks to **cartoonstar, cartoonfire, BerryDrops, RavenSis, ScoutAndGinger, FairieAngelx3o, rockingirlofbloodred019, -xKuroHinotex-, Koriand'r Grayson, MylittleDomino, contestshipper, IAmOneOfThem, Kory Anders Grayson, Starrobforever, lark lover, Diamond Blue Eyes, Lexanna Fable, RobStarfire, lil love fan, and pokemon-avatar** for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own TT or the Incredibles

* * *

Robin groaned as he woke up. His head was throbbing, and his entire body felt sore. Was he dead? The room he was in was white, but it was nighttime, so it was a dark blue-ish color. Was there night in heaven? _Was_ he in heaven? 

"Yo, Rob, you awake?" whispered Cyborg fervently. Apparently not.

"Cy? Where am I?"

"Titan's Tower infirmary. You fainted after you came home. Where were you, anyways?"

"There were two of you," Robin muttered absently. Cyborg tittered nervously.

"Yeah. Heh. About that..."

"What?"

"I'll save that for later, when you're awake. Do you know where Star is? We haven't seen her since we got home, and that's been for almost five hours." Robin jerked awake suddenly at the mention of the bubbly princess.

"Star!" he cried, burying his head in his pillow. His shoulders started to shake, and try as he might to prevent it, he could not stop the tears from leaking out on to his pillow. Cyborg called his name and poked him, alarmed at his reaction.

"Robin, pull yourself together, man. Don't tell me my little sis is hurt!" yelled Cyborg frantically. Robin didn't answer. He couldn't answer. Cyborg took out his T-Comm and called, "Rae, BB, get over here. Something's wrong." The two were there within thirty seconds. They would have been there in less time, but Raven had had to levitate Beast Boy along because he refused to get out of his room.

"Cy, I was trying to sleep!" whined Beast Boy. Cyborg shot him a glare with his one human eye, and that shut the changeling up.

"Raven, what does Robin...?"

"Loss," answered the empath, her voice laced with sadness. It was hard to _not_ feel sad, as Robin's aura was nothing but. "All he feels is loss." Cyborg nodded grimly.

"You guys...I think something happened to Starfire." Beast Boy and Raven's eyes widened. The group stood, silent and unmoving, except for Robin.

"What?" Beast Boy finally asked.

"I mean, why else would Robin be like this? Plus, we haven't seen her, and...I think she's hurt...or worse."

"No," Beast Boy replied disbelievingly. "Not Star. She can't be dead, she's_ Starfire_. Maybe she's just in the hospital or something, she's fine." He didn't even look like he believed that himself. Cyborg shook his head.

"I don't know, BB. Something's not right, though. I mean..." Cyborg gestured to the Boy Wonder, who had gained a little control of himself and pulled the covers up over his head so no one would be able to see his misery. The three knew Cyborg was right, though they refused to believe it.

"You're being stupid! He's probably worked up over Slade or something!"

"Crying? I doubt it!"

"Did you tell him yet?"

"No."

"See?"

"Stop!" commanded Raven, while a few machines exploded. "Look at us. We have to stay together through this. Don't you remember, when Starfire went twenty years into the future, how we all drifted apart? We can't let that happen."

Cyborg sighed. "Raven's right. Sorry, BB."

"It's okay."

It was _not_ okay. Nothing would ever be the same in Titan's Tower.

* * *

The next day, Robin had collected himself enough to get out of bed and face the world. He scowled at the mirror, which showed bags under his mask and tousled hair. He felt so much worse than he looked. 

Robin couldn't bear to pass Starfire's room, and all the pictures he had of her had been removed in one painful hour and tossed into a box, which was shoved under his bed for later, better days. The other Titans questioned him about her, but he never answered. Maybe later, but for now, they could go on believing she was dead. She was as good as, anyway.

He took another look in the mirror, now eyeing the bright clothes, wrinkled beyond belief from having worn them for the past week or so with no ironing. It was the same as his circus costume, with a few adjustments that better fitted superheroism. But it was too bright, too child-like, and completely past. He wasn't _in_ the circus anymore, and whoever he was, he definitely wasn't Robin, the strong, fearless leader. Yesterday alone proved that. Robin did not mope at the first sign of distress, he faced it head on.

_He_ didn't ever want to face it again.

Robin never broke, especially not in front of his teammates. They all respected him.

They couldn't look _him _in the eye now, unsure of when _his_ next breakdown would be.

He was no longer a kid. He'd lost almost every person he'd ever loved. He'd faced dangers no full grown man could ever think of facing. He was much wiser, and much more open minded. It was time for a change.

Robin picked up the phone in Titan's Tower, calling an unfamiliar number. He remembered Batman calling her once. She was an extremely short lady, with black hair and spectacles that nearly always were falling off her nose. Yet, she gave off the feeling that she was far more powerful than she looked. Strange little lady.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Edna, it's Robin..."

* * *

Robin stared at the punching bag listlessly, wondering when he'd work up the resolve to use it. Cyborg entered the gym, and headed straight for him. "Hey man. How're you doing?" Robin shrugged. 

"Fine."

"Look...the three of us've been talking, and...Rob, it's just not the same without Star. We're not even a team anymore. I mean, we can't stop fighting, and now, with Slade gone, there's barely anything to fight _for_..."

"What do mean, Slade gone?" asked Robin.

"Oh yeah. When we came back to Jump, we found Slade...he was unconscious. On the ground. I'm not sure what happened, but he was out cold. Probably some street fight he got into, but he was hurt really bad. That was about a week ago, and he's in jail now. Maximum security." Robin sighed. Catching Slade gave him no joy, funnily enough. But he knew why Slade was knocked out. He had done it, and one kid had probably K.O.'ed him with a punch. It was time to face the facts. He _had_ almost killed Slade.

"Came back to Jump? You were here the whole time," asked Robin suspiciously. Again, Cyborg gave a nervous laugh.

"About seeing two of us...see, BB wanted a real vacation, after Tokyo and all, and I'd been working on this robo-clones, as decoys in battle, you know? Anyway, Rae had this great idea that who could use them to fool you and...uh...go to Mexico..." Cyborg said meekly. Robin's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"You...you went to MEXICO?!" he screamed. Cyborg nodded sheepishly.

"Before you ask, it's all BB's fault, 'cause me and Rae were just helping, but we decided to go along anyway, about a week after we came back from Tokyo. Only I guess you kinda figured it out after a while...I never got the emotions just right, but they were pretty sweet in battle, don't you think? All holographic, so you and Star did all the real work, but I couldn't really get them to have our _real_ powers, except mine."

"Holographic...Mexico..." Robin muttered. No _wonder_ Slade had been able to dodge all of their attacks. Only three people had been attacking him, not five!

"But we caught Slade! Seriously! And then we went looking for you two and when we got home I was just working on the robo-clones in the Ops Center...not so smart now that I think about it...and you walk in!"

Robin wasn't sure what to say. They'd gone to _Mexico_ while he and Star had been battling it out here. The robo-clones had probably only made it worse, since Starfire would have gone to Raven for help...but they'd caught Slade...which Robin barely cared about anymore. He turned to stare at the punching bag, sighing.

"Anyway, that's great. Good job, you three."

"See? Fighting crime barely makes a difference anymore. We need to talk, Rob. The whole team. I just don't think it's going to work." Robin nodded. He should have known this was coming. He _had_ known, subconsciously, but he had refused to acknowledge it. He couldn't take any more loss.

"Right. Ops Center, everyone." The decision was already made.

* * *

"The Teen Titans are splitting up," Robin announced the very same day. The mayor and a couple hundred of Jump City's residents sat before him in City Hall. Gasps and cries of 'No!' could be heard, but Robin didn't care. Cyborg laid a hand on his shoulder, nodding. As if Robin had any doubts about this. 

"What about us? The city? The government pays you to protect us, and it comes out of our pockets! Was that all for nothing? You've got a huge tower, and all the latest equipment, and now it's just going to sit there? Or do we have to pay to get it back, too?" asked one angry man in the front. "You can't just leave!"

Robin stared him down, and the man visibly shuddered. "You wanted Starfire out? She's gone. If she goes, we go. That's how it works. I hope every single citizen is happy with what they've done. The Teen Titans aren't the Teen Titans without Starfire. You've all sealed your own fates. I suggest you take up martial arts. In three days, we'll be gone. That is all." Crickets could almost be heard in the hall as everyone absorbed this piece of news. Robin left the microphone, and Beast Boy and Raven carried him and Cyborg back to the Tower, where a parcel awaited them.

It was for Robin. He opened the box, and in it lay a black and blue new costume. "Nightwing," Raven surmised. "You're crime fighting by yourself now." Robin nodded.

"That, or I might go back to Gotham. Batman wants me to train up another orphaned kid. Where are all of you going?" asked Robin.

"I think I'm going to go back to school, and study up to be a veterinarian," Beast Boy announced. "Plus, I could always talk to animals to find out what's wrong with them. You know, where it hurts and all that. I don't even think I have to go back to school. I need to borrow Cy's holorings, though." Cyborg nodded. Beast Boy turned to Raven. "Are you going back to Azarath?" he asked unhappily.

"That was my original plan," Raven answered slowly. "I might just stay here and write novels. I've been wanting to for a while." Beast Boy gave her a kind of half smile, and Robin looked away. He had no right to stop them from being together, but did they have to do this in front of _him_?

"I think I might just be a mechanic. Something like that. I'll have to paint my baby black, so no one'll know it's the T-car. I'm gonna miss you guys." The other two nodded, and Robin cleared his throat. It was nearing sunset, and he had to go lock himself in a windowless room. He didn't want to see the 'beautiful colors,' as Starfire had so adorably put it.

"There's something you guys have to know. About Starfire." They were alert instantly. Anything about Starfire was music to their ears. "She...she's not dead. She's perfectly fine." At this, Beast Boy let out a whoop of delight, and Cyborg sighed in relief. Robin held up his hands for them to stop, and told the whole story.

* * *

Two more days, Nightwing realized as he woke up. Two more days and he'd be living a life of loneliness. No friends, no Starfire, no nothing... 

Wait! He _would _see Starfire again. Twenty years in the future, when she appeared with Warp...right? Time travel was so confusing. Would she come? He'd have to wait twenty years to find out.

Nightwing was close to banging his head on the wall in frustration. One Mississippi...Two Mississippi...the countdown began.

There was an explosion in the distance, and the alarm went off. "Thank you," Robin muttered, before going to the Ops Center. Twenty years would have to wait.

* * *

Starfire's ship crashed and bumped it's way down, landing in the middle of a huge, green park. She hoped she was in the right place. She'd never been that great at directions, or landing, for that matter. Her ship was totaled. 

Stepping out, Starfire noticed a small child, maybe six or seven, and her mother standing nearby, staring at her through wide eyes. The girl had strawberry blonde hair up in pigtails, and was licking a gigantic lollipop, which she had dropped as soon as she saw Starfire. The woman was a brunette, roughly three inches shorter than Starfire, and looked more than a little shocked. "Mommy! It's raining!" the child cried, running up to Starfire. She tugged at the alien's miniskirt. "Can I have a hug?"

Starfire giggled, sweeping the girl up in her arms, careful to be as gentle as possible. "Of course, little one." She looked up at the mother, who seemed uncertain. "Please...is this Jump City?" The woman pointed behind Starfire. Some ways away, there was the unmistakable form of Titan's Tower. Starfire gasped with delight. "I am home!"

"S-starfire," the lady called, and Starfire turned around again, nervous this time. Was the lady going to call up a mob and chase her away? "My name is Elaine McGrew. I speak on the behalf of the entire Jump City when I say we were wrong. You protect our city every day, and at the first mistake we blow up at you. We never did appreciate the Titans enough, and now they're splitting up." Starfire gasped again, but she was far from delighted.

"They are going their separate ways? But why?" she asked. Elaine shrugged.

"Yeah, in two days. I heard there was a meeting yesterday, and Robin said the Titans weren't the Titans without you." Starfire's eyes welled up with tears.

"Robin..."

"Speak of the devil," Elaine added brightly. Starfire whipped around, looking for a little red man with a pitchfork, but instead saw the ex-Teen Titans.

"Friends!" she cried happily.

"Starfire?" chorused Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg. Nightwing just stood there with his mouth hanging open. Cyborg grabbed her in a bear hug, and Beast Boy did as well...except as a bear. Raven stood back and patted Starfire's shoulder awkwardly, a huge expression of happiness from her. Robin was still missing, though. As soon as Cyborg and Beast Boy had finished exclaiming how glad they were, Starfire turned to glance at Nightwing.

He was angry at her, no doubt about it. She suddenly found her shoes very interesting, as the other three Titans and Elaine held their breaths. "I...am sorry for worrying you Robin...Nightwing. I did not mean to cause any distress, I was merely unsure of what was right." She glanced back up. "I realize now that Tamaran is my home, but it is possible to move."

Nightwing sighed. "Look...we'll just talk this over at home...I mean, at the Tower." Starfire looked a little crestfallen, but she nodded. She'd been stupid, as usual, to think Nightwing would forgive her so quickly for leaving him. "We've already got our futures planned out anyways, so we'll just have to find something for you."

This was unexpected. Starfire stared disbelievingly, as well as Elaine, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven. "You're not seriously gonna split the Titans now, are you? Starfire's back! The Titans are back! Rob...Nightwing, you've gotta be joking!" yelled Cyborg furiously.

"How can you still say 'we're leaving'? You said you wanted Starfire back at City Hall, and now she _is_ back!" Elaine exclaimed.

"Sorry, _ma'am_, but this isn't about the city. We can't have our team breaking up and getting back together if someone decides to go on an impromptu vacation, saying they won't come back. The Teen Titans _will_ split up, and that's final."

Beast Boy crossed his arms over his chest. "And what if we don't want to?"

Nightwing glared at him. "Then stay. In two days, I'm heading back to Gotham. I don't care what you guys do." Nightwing started to walk back, leaving three apoplectic ex-Titans, one apoplectic citizen, and one desolate alien behind him.

Starfire plopped on to the ground. "I should not have come back," she whispered.

"Nuh-uh, little lady. You had every right to come back, but you shouldn't have left in the first place, or told him you were gonna stay there. But don't worry about it. Robbie...I mean, Nightwing's gonna mope for a day or two and before he goes back to Gotham you'll all have a big mushy-kissy scene and he'll stay. Everyone lives happily ever after," Cyborg assured her. Starfire attempted a smile, but she was still uncertain.

The walk back through the city was horrible. Without Robin beside her, she felt like even more of an imposter. Starfire hugged herself in an effort to cover her foreign-ness up. She was far too lanky, far too orange, and far too different. Robin had never made her feel this way, nor had he let anyone else make her feel like this. But now, people were staring, pointing, and whispering. Of course, she mused, she would have been perfectly fine on Tamaran. Galfore was there, and she had a few friends still. Maybe not best friends, like on Earth, but friends. Yet, Robin was not on Tamaran. That was the main reason of her return. That and, she had a duty to the city, even though it shunned her. She had Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy.

But Robin was _always_ angry at her here. Starfire couldn't help doing the wrong things for the right reasons. It was just who she was. Consequences were of no matter to her until they came into play. The truth was, she could be optimistic and say she belonged on both Earth _and_ Tamaran, but the truth was, she belonged nowhere. She would always be an outsider.

They reached the beach, and Starfire didn't even try to fly, taking Raven's hand instead. Beast Boy morphed into a pterodactyl and carried Cyborg to the island.

Robin was not in the Ops Center, nor in the gym, when Starfire checked. She sighed. His room. The hardest place to get into in the world. Slade's lair was no match. She knocked on the door, remembering it vividly.

* * *

Nightwing knew he was being stupid. He didn't have to be told twice. But how could she _do_ this? Had he unknowingly given her the right to waltz in and out of his life whenever she felt it necessary? How was he supposed to trust her at all, knowing she could leave at any second? He rested his head against the cool glass of his window, staring out at Jump's clear blue sky. There was a knock on his door, and he gave a frustrated sigh. He knew who it was. "It's open." 

"Robin?"

"Not here."

"Nightwing?"

"What, Star?" She approached him, laying a hand on his shoulder. He brushed it off. "What do you want?"

"To make amends for my mistake," she whispered softly, sounding for all the world like a little schoolgirl in the eighteen hundreds.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Talk," she replied simply. Nightwing waited...and waited...until she figured out she was supposed to start talking. "Robin...Nightwing...I am sorry. I have nothing else to say. I do not belong here, or on Tamaran, and I do not know where to stay. The reason I came back to Earth is for you, but if you are angry then I have no choice than to go back to Tamaran again. I say it is my home because I know I will always be welcome there. Here...I cannot be sure. Countless times I have been reminded that I am an alien, an outsider, and countless times I believed flying back was the answer. Once and for all, if you wish for me to stay, I shall stay. If you wish for me to go, I will go. By which I mean, do you love me, Nightwing? Do you love me as I love you? I would go to the ends of the universe to be with you, if you would have me. Tell me now."

Nightwing didn't answer for the first few minutes, so Starfire sighed. "Very...very well. Then I apologize for wasting two years' worth of your time."

Stupid. He knew it was no use getting angry. He had no choice but to trust her. He loved her, he needed her, and he was going to keep her. If she could not make up her mind, he'd help her. Hopefully, this time, she'd stay forever. Nightwing spun Starfire around and kissed her passionately, tightly embracing her. She was surprised at first, but then eagerly responded, locking her arms around his neck.

"I love you, Starfire," Nightwing whispered in her ear when they broke apart.

"And I love you, Nightwing," Starfire replied blissfully.

"I've changed, Star."

"My love for you has not."

"Richard."

"What?"

"Dick Grayson. My name." Starfire smiled, cuddling into his chest.

"Richard...hmm..." He stroked her hair, kissing the crown of her head. "Wonderful."

"Glad you think so."

"Richard?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you staying?" Nightwing pulled away.

"Do you want me to stay?" Starfire nodded furiously, and Nightwing laughed. "Then I'll stay." He pulled her into another hug, and they were silent for a moment. Strange noises were heard outside Nightwing's door.

"Tch. They didn't even wait two more days for their big mushy moment," Cyborg grumbled. Nightwing chuckled. He hadn't thought it before, but now it seemed obvious. Besides Starfire, Cyborg was the biggest romantic he knew.

"Did you hear that? He said his name was _Dick_," Beast Boy sniggered. Now it as Starfire's turn to laugh, while Nightwing's face turned a bright red.

"Have you noticed they're a little too quiet?" droned Raven. "You idiots are in big trouble." Nightwing nodded at Starfire, and the two opened the door, catching Cyborg and Beast Boy in the act. Raven, Cyborg, and Starfire looked on in amusement as Nightwing prepared to throttle Beast Boy. Some things never changed.

* * *

And so it ends. Anyways, I've got to finish touching up the paint in my room, so I'll talk to you guys later! I've got another story coming soon, but the updates'll be far apart, now that I've got school and all. But it's just as short as this one. 

Okay, I've been thinking about writing a sequel to **Yeah, Another High School Story. **Do you guys think I should, or would you rather I left it alone? The sequel is kinda depressing, so...or I could just write a big fluff one, but that would completely defeat the purpose, I could just make that into a one-shot. Anyway, what happens is, Babs and Xavier are back, along with Kitten, Steven Redd, and all the friends. It's summertime, and Richard, Kori, Roy, Alan, Gar, Rachel, Wally, Jenny, Karen, Vic, Angelina, Gregor, Collette, and Nicole all pitch in to rent a beach house, where they stay for a month, but now Kori and Rich's relationship is tested, as well as Gar and Rachel's...I think. I don't know about the Gar-Rachel. Anyways, if it sounds like a good idea, let me know!

Please review! Like you've been doing so far...LOL.


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